How he grew up
by Mara97
Summary: Arthur Kirkland was normal. At least he thought so. Of course, everything had to change. Oh, the cruel fate. AU-He isn't a country. (There is also N. Ireland, but couldn't be chosen. I'll add characters along the way.)
1. e Start Of It All

Hi, guys!

This is my first story of this kind ever (I mean a fanfiction), and I hope you'll enjoy it. Also, I have no idea how this story will progress, and at which pace. I'll appreciate every review! Thanks. :)

* * *

1\. The Start Of It All

At the time, he was just nine years old. During P.E., a football's ball hit him straight on the head. He fell, unconscious. He woke up not even a minute later. Of course, it was nothing serious. That was how everyone assured his mother; he just needed a little rest. And everything was well.

Or so would people say. But, life wouldn't be life if it didn't throw a dice for you, and, of course lost; as it rarely won. The incident happened in the middle of October. The story begins in February.

He was just a third-grader; the school he went in everyday was a small and an old one. Teachers never smiled, the desks were always dusty and his classmates weren't the friendliest people; at least to him.

He had a couple of playmates, but even they avoided him from time to time, as his temper was always getting the best of him. He also had an interesting tendency to pout at the strangest times. Teachers would catch him staring at nothing from time to time, and it made them uncomfortable. Some kids said they even witnessed him talking into thin air, debating and musing about. Nobody knew what he was actually doing. He was a mystery.

His appearance was something he would easily get riled up about. He would blush when you would mention his emerald-coloured eyes, and would then stutter, trying to say thank you. His hair, although golden and resembling the meadow honey when it shone in the sun, was messy all the time. No brush was a rival for that nest. His mother tried growing it out while he was still a toddler, but it was of no use. It couldn't be tamed. So it was decided, it would be kept short.

But if you wanted him to get fussy and redder than a tomato, you would mention his eyebrows. All the males in the family had them; they were something like a heritage. They were thick and bushy, and as prickly as his hair. He once fought with his brother; older by six years; and won, just because his red-headed brother Reilley said they were thick enough for a squirrel to make a nest in them. That boy's name is Arthur Kirkland.

* * *

He still clearly remembers that day when everything changed. It was the seventh of February, and it began like any other day. His mother woke him up; he dressed, and sat to eat with his brothers. There were four of them. Reilley, the youngest after him, was sitting to his left, while the other brothers, Rhys and Alistair, seventeen and twenty two respectively, were sitting across the table. Reilley was making a fuss about not being able to ride his mountain bike to school, Alistair was grumbling about not being able to drink when he wanted, while Rhys just ate in silence. It was Saturday, and that meant no school today for any of them, so Arthur dreaded what would happen. Will they gang up on him and bully him until he started crying, or will they make him act like a servant?

He wasn't scared of Rhys; he knew he wouldn't do anything to him, but also wouldn't help unless it was critical. He sighed.

At that moment, he felt dizziness. He slowly stood up, and the world started turning around, up and down. In front of his eyes rings of colours appeared; red, blue and yellow spun, spun and spun. He needed to barf. He thanked God that they had a bathroom near the kitchen, where they ate. By now, everyone noticed his behaviour. It was unusual, even for him.

"Arthur, what is it?" That was the calm voice of Rhys, who now watched him with attention.

He couldn't allow him to be worried. He just shook his head and tried exiting the kitchen into the hallway, but crashed into the wall next to the said exit. With his hands, he oriented himself, and somehow ended up in the bathroom. He staggered, and then his knees gave away. He emptied his stomach not only into the toilet, but onto the floor as well. He couldn't stop. What was happening?


	2. The First Step

2\. The First Step

Hi, guys. MenaSo, thanks for the first review. It made me happy. I decided to write the second part for now, and we'll see what'll happen. Tell me, what do you think?

* * *

Arthur couldn't gather what was happening. He was emptying his stomach, but he felt an odd pressure at the bottom of his insides. He stopped barfing, but what came next was even worse. He pulled histrousers and pants down, and sat on the toilet. He started defecating and couldn't stop. He wanted to scream, but couldn't. His tongue wasn't moving, his voice; it seemed that it disappeared. He tried breathing deeply, knowing that some air would help him calm down, but again, it didn't work the way he wanted it to. Air wouldn't come in. Gasping for some relief, he felt tears streaming down his cheeks. Hopelessness closed in on him.

"Arthur! Arthur, what's happening to you? Oh, God Arthur, respond to me, to my voice!" He felt hands shaking him, and he could only send a look to the person holding him by shoulders.

It was Alistair. He had never seen him so upset, not even when their father died. He opened his mouth, trying to say not to worry, but only sobs came out. He was scared. Rhys was holding a phone, while Reilley just watched, unable to move, except a hand he held out to hold himself against the cold wall.

And that was the last he remembered.

* * *

When he woke up, he met up with the white ceiling. First thought that came to his mind was that he survived. Everything was alright now. He just felt hungry. Arthur looked around. He was in a hospital bed. Was he alone? His question was immediately answered, as he saw Alistair sprawled with his upper body on the mattress, just centimetres from him while sitting on a chair beside the bed. Even though he was sleeping, the circles beneath his eyes were comparable to those of a panda. He wished for someone to come and tell him what happened. Surely, the doctors would know what occurred in his body for him to collapse like that. Did he poison himself with something?

As if called, Rhys entered the dark room. Even though there was some light from the hallway, the light in the room was turned off.

"Rhys…" It sounded hoarse. He didn't have the strength to voice himself further. His throat was throbbing like he was swallowing needles. It hurt, and it was dry. He wanted water.

Apparently, that one word was enough for Rhys to rush to his side, look at him, push Alistair from the bed and the chair, and then call for a nurse to come. Alistair awoke from the fall, looked around, and then understood. He stood up, looked at Arthur, nodded his head, and then; all the while ignoring Rhys' yelling as to why he didn't stay conscious; hugged Arthur. Arthur, although glad because of the rare display of affection, started gasping for air from the force of the embrace he was in. He was immediately let go, which surprised him. The look on Alistair's face at that moment gave him shivers. It appeared as if Alistair was scared. But that was nonsensical. Alistair was never scared; he was the brave one of the family, son of their mother's Scottish origin.

They all had chosen a country or a region for themselves long ago, leaving Arthur to be England in their silly games and charades. Mother was The Land itself, without a name, while their father was Normandy. Mother would still chuckle from time to time when Normandy was mentioned. Arthur didn't understand the reason for it.

Breaking his train of thoughts, a nurse came in, grabbed him by the hand so roughly that he couldn't endure, so he let out a whimper. This caused a ruckus. Alistair jumped like a leopard, yelling at the nurse, while she just watched him with soulless eyes. She didn't care. Despite being harsh, she thoroughly checked his condition, and then wrote everything down on a paper of sorts. When finished, she headed to the door, but before exiting, turned.

"You'll need to leave this room within next hour. This isn't a room designated for patients like him. You'll be given proper room and bed, don't worry. And for God's sake, give the child some water, it's dehydrated, which isn't really surprising. Since it's pretty late, the doctor will come tomorrow to talk to you. The room you'll be using is on the third floor, number 4." She said this in a flat voice that could scare babes into crying, and then left.

After those words, Alistair muttered something about being a bitch and Rhys cautiously approached Arthur and held out a bottle of water for him. Seeing that Arthur wasn't taking it, he realised that he needed help sitting up. He blushed furiously, ashamed of himself. He helped him up, putting a couple of pillows behind his back to support him properly. He then opened the bottle, and tilted it slightly to Arthur lips. Arthur was more than grateful. He gulped greedily. He scowled when Rhys put the bottle away. He wanted more.

"No Arthur, you must be moderate, otherwise you'll feel ill." Rhys shook his head while saying this and Arthur could see guilt written all over his face, so he bit his lip and just nodded.

He turned to his brothers. Opening his lips to ask where Reilley was, the water he just took in came out of his mouth and nose. His body rejected fluids. Rhys knelt next to him, cleaning the water with a handkerchief he had.

"Don't worry, this is expected. Do not panic. You'll be better soon and able to eat and drink." He said soothingly, and this tone reminded Arthur of their father's voice and lullabies. He nodded, wondering when he will see mother and Reilley.

"Can-can-can you tell me what happened?" Arthur's voice trembled, and he scolded himself for feeling anxious.

Alistair sat on the bed, looked him in the eyes and said what Arthur had to hear.

"You had a seizure."


	3. 3 The Second Step

Well, guys, it seems that I'm on fire. I felt the need to write this. I don't know if I will write tomorrow too, so don't be too excited. Hahah. I hope for some reviews, 'cause they really motivate me. Sorry that the story's dark.

I'll write a **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN** Hetalia!

I hope I hear from you, bye for now and enjoy the chapter.

* * *

3\. The Second Step

"A seizure?" Arthur's face showed no comprehension. He didn't understand. What is that?

Rhys sat next to Alistair and took Arthur's hand in his own. He squeezed it comfortingly. Unfortunately, before he could say anything that would soothe Arthur's worries, Reilley showed up at the door of the room, with several plastic bags in each hand. Arthur looked at him, expecting some kind of comment; that he was a wimp or a pushover, but they didn't come. He had serious expression on his face, and when he saw Arthur conscious and sitting, he let out a long sigh and dropped bags on the floor. He then came to him and enclosed his face in his hands. His eyes burned in a way Arthur never saw them burn before; he felt uneasy, seeing the unknown side of all of his brothers.

"Are you alright now", demanded Reilley to know, still clutching his brother's face in his calloused palms. Arthur could only nod.

He felt lost. What had happened to his carefree brothers always ready for a prank or a snide comment about his eyebrows? Again, he found himself in an embrace so tight he could barely breathe, but Reilley, unlike Alistair, didn't let go. He let himself be cuddled and patted on a head, although it was done awkwardly; none of the brothers was really used to any kind of showing their affection in a normal way. Alistair just sat and stared at him; Rhys already stood up and started rummaging through the bags Reilley brought. He decided to voice himself.

"Rhys, plea-please, can you tell me what happened?" Arthur could feel the tension in the room rising through the roof. Reilley froze in the middle of his snuggling; Alistair had his mouth wide open and started rocking back-and-forth, and even though it was almost unnoticeable, Arthur had sharp eyes. This only deepened his distress.

Rhys breathed deeply once, and then twice, nodding to his request. He neared himself to Arthur, like he felt the need to feel his warmth.

"Arthur", while mouthing his name, he looked him in the eyes, and took his palm and started massaging it. "You…you have been diagnosed with epilepsy. Only partial, thank goodness, but still, you'll need to take care of yourself from now on. We don't know what will happen."

Arthur only blinked at this. He had read about that disease, but the symptoms he had and the ones described in a book were completely different. He was ill? His brain was damaged? How? What will happen now? He saw that all of the brothers were observing him intently. He nodded.

"Uhm, I understand. What are we going to do now?" That was the question weighing on him right now. He bit his lower lip, waiting for the answer. But none came. At that moment, the same nurse from awhile ago came in and by the expression on her face, anyone could see that she wasn't satisfied that they haven't left the room yet.

With the gloomy expressions, all of them headed for a lift down the hall, the lift that will lead them to the fourth room on the third floor. Arthur, although insisted to walk on his own, was not allowed to; Alistair was carrying him like a babe, wrapped up in his arms. While waiting for the final destination, he let his head fall on the Alistair's chest. The steady heartbeat lulled him to sleep within a minute without him even noticing. Of course, this didn't slip past Rhys' notice. He whispered to Alistair to be gentle when putting him in the bed, and then to come out of the room; they needed to talk. He gestured for Reilley, who seemed lost, to follow them.

* * *

When they were out of the room and its proximity, they stopped in front of a couple of chairs and a narrow table. Rhys and Reilley sat, while Alistair started pacing. He was frowning, and crossed his arms, gripping the sleeves of his jumper until it seemed that he would tear them off. Nobody wanted to start the discussion.

"You know that from now on we will need to be very careful with him? No more childish fights, making him upset, provoking him, slapping his head when he says something wrong, or pushing him past his limits just because we wanted to see if he could do it. We will need to observe his every move, to insure that he doesn't risk getting himself in a dangerous situation. Do you understand that, Alistair, Reilley?" Rhys' eyes were squinted. Even after this speech, he didn't intend to stop. His arms were shaking, in guilt, fear and anger.

"I hope you're aware that any of the playful slaps on the head you two gave him could have been a trigger for this." Rhys slammed his fist on the table, making both men jump; they knew that Rhys was seldom angered, but when he was, he turned into a demon.

"Well, I didn't see you defending him whenever we were bullying him." Alistair immediately regretted his words, as he knew they will be used against him.

"So you admit you were doing things like that out of malice? Why, Alistair? Were you jealous that the father was more focused on Arthur than you? Arthur came as a surprise, we all know that. Even mother was taken aback when it turned out that she was pregnant at her age of thirty seven. Let's talk about Oliver, why don't we? She expected twins, guys. And it was God's luck that she could save Arthur from the clutches of death. Oliver died. To this day she can't talk about it. She has told Arthur about Oliver, his brother that was destined not to be." At that point, Rhys raised his arms to hide the tears that were threatening to come out. Alistair made a movement towards Rhys, but stopped, as Rhys started speaking once more.

"When she told him, do you know who he came to? Me! He cried while burrowing his head in my chest. What was I supposed to do? I just let him cry until he exhausted himself. Do you know what he whispered into my ears, just moments before he fell asleep? He said that he knew that he was not complete." After this speech, Rhys started breathing erratically, like he couldn't satiate his need for air. But what happened next surprised him. Reilley approached him, and then hugged him the strongest he could.

"Before you start scolding me too, I want to tell you that I know what I was doing didn't do me justice. I just followed Alistair, as I wanted him to pay attention to me. Rhys, stop crying and sober up. We need you. You're the one who is the most mature between all of us. Mother is coming soon, I alerted her after we came to the hospital. I don't know what is holding her up, but she said she'll definitely be here sooner or later." These words should've calmed Rhys, but his internal alarm rang. He grabbed Reilley by shoulders. Reilley squirmed, as the grip was strong and it hurt.

"Reilley, when did you say you informed her of this?" His breathing, already erratic, turned shallow and fast.

"When we came to the hospital…that was nine hours ago." Reilley and Alistair's faces were now pallid. But, nonetheless, Rhys said what they were all thinking at the moment.

"Why hasn't she shown up yet, then?"


	4. The Third Step

Hi, guys!

Guess what? I had the time, the inspiration and the need, so this appeared. I am super happy right now! Yesterday, I had some glitches, but now everything was and is running smoothly. Thank goodness. I hope you'll like this chapter.

Remember, every review you write gives me hope that I can do this. I hope you'll keep them coming.

MenaSo, thank you for the second review. I hope this chapter satisfied your curiosity for now. I am glad my efforts could be seen. :D

Once again, **I do not own Hetalia: Axis Powers!**

* * *

4\. The Third Step

They sat in silence. They feared what might have happened for their mother not to show up when she was informed more than nine hours ago. Alistair took a deep breath and then took his mobile phone out of the pocket of his jeans. He dialled the number all of them knew by heart. They must find out what happened. When it connected, the voice he heard at the other side of the phone wasn't the one of their mother.

"May I know to whom am I speaking?" The pleasant voice of a woman inquired. Alistair bit his lip.

"Yes, my name is Alistair Kirkland. The phone you are holding in your hand is my mother's. May I receive an explanation as to why you have it?" Although he was polite, the tone he used was dripping with suppressed anger and threat. Reilley thought that it sounded more like a growl than normal words.

"Ah, yes. I am the nurse in the Rhiner Hospital. Your mother has been in a slight accident. Please do not panic. She is alright. Right now-"by this point Alistair didn't even listen.

He hung up, turned to his brothers, gestured for them to follow him and took off. Due to having no air in their lungs, his brothers could only run after him. They knew they will be able to rely on him, and that something was horribly astray. After running to the reception near the entrance of the hospital, Alistair suddenly stopped, almost colliding with the reception desk. He loomed over the petite lady sitting at the desk and blurted out their mother's name.

"What?" He could see that the lassie was petrified, so he took a deep breath. Before he could say anything else, Reilley pushed him away and started babbling.

"Sorry for scaring ye, but he is jus' a little panicky right now", Reilley said that, even though the girl could see that he was as flustered as his friend. "You see, there is a woman named Mairead Kirkland in this hospital. We called and found out that she is here. Could you tell us what has happened? We are her sons." After saying that, Reilley's breathing quickened. Rhys, who was silent all the while, just nodded to confirm his brother's statement.

"Please calm down." She looked to the tall broad-shouldered, ruby-haired male who loomed over her just a moment ago. "I suppose you are Alistair Kirkland. I am the nurse who answered the call. You shouldn't have hung up. Your mother is fine. Come after me, I'll show you to her room."

After that, all three of them let out a sigh. They followed her as she walked up the stairs to the first floor and entered the first room on the left. They passed two beds until they saw their mother, lying in the sheets. She had a bump on her forehead and a bruised right eye.

"What happened?" Rhys was the one who asked, finally gathering the courage to voice everyone's question. He already had a couple of scenarios all worked out in his head. She was mugged, or hit by a delinquent or…

"Apparently, she ran out in the street in front of a car. The car grazed her, just enough to push her and she fell, getting a slight concussion. The car driver himself called ambulance and left only when he heard that there were no serious injuries. He even left his number to contact him if there is a change in her state or if there was a bill to pay for her staying in the hospital and getting hospital care. She's been unconscious since then.

She will wake up soon enough; her body just needs some rest from the shock it received. I tried calling every number in her phone so as to contact her relatives, but all she had were contacts of the people she worked with. The only other number she had and I called was not in use. It seems that she has your numbers memorised by heart. That is the reason I was not able to contact you. I could only wait for you to call her. I apologise." The Kirkland brothers were relieved. Their mother was alright.

"When was she brought here?" Alistair asked, cursing himself that he didn't even think of their mother's obvious lateness. How could he protect the family if he forgot them?

"She was brought here about eight hours ago. As I already said, there is no reason for you to be concerned. She'll get her consciousness in no time. But, I want to ask you something." She looked at the three brothers, all looking like they had no blood relation to one another, excusing the freckles. Willowy, auburn-haired one seemed calm, but she could see him wringing his hands and fidgeting. The scraggy one repeatedly ran his hand through his already messy ginger-coloured hair, shaking like a leaf. The only one whose name she knew, Alistair, was biting his lips so hard they were on the verge of breaking and bleeding. Why weren't they happy that it was nothing serious?

"Why did the three of you appear so fast after you hung up?" She saw the immediate change in their demeanour. Now they seemed even gloomier, and none of them met her eyes. All of them started fidgeting and bumping one another, wanting that the either one of the other two say the reason for their instantaneous appearance.

"Well…we were on the third floor of the hospital…" Finally, the smallest of them, the one who addressed her after the big one almost jumped over the desk, muttered. This was getting suspicious. What were they doing there at this hour?

"Why is that, if I may know?" Her voice left no space for rejecting to answer. All of them froze. The one who looked like the most mature of them stepped up.

"Our younger brother came today as a patient. He had a seizure, and they diagnosed him with epilepsy. It's our fault that our mother ended up hurt. It happened just half an hour after she left, so we called ambulance, and the local doctor wasn't really acceptable; he said something outrageous; so we carried on to the hospital. More than an hour passed before Reilley", he gestured to the smallest one, "contacted her. But he forgot to tell us, and we were worried about Arthur, so it didn't occur to either of us to contact her. She was running because she wanted to come to the hospital as soon as she could."

She noticed that his voice heightened near the end of the speech. Before she even said something, Alistair hugged him with one hand, and Reilley patted him on the shoulder. They really had no luck today. She decided to take action.

"What are you fools talking about? It was my own fault! Who doesn't look around him when crossing the street? A mindless fly and me! So don't go all whiney on me, you dolts, especially you, Rhys. Your fault? I haven't heard such a nonsense since your father asked me if I loved him three days before we were to be wed. " All four of them turned to the bed. Their mother was awake and sitting, looking at them like they just broke a precious vase. The nurse was shocked. She didn't even hear her sitting up, but what surprised her even more was the woman's attitude and apparent lack of fatigue.

"Please, Mrs. Kirkland, you need to lie down. We need to keep you here for observation until tomorrow morning, at least." She approached the woman, hoping that she could be reasoned with. Of course, her hope was crushed without a second of hesitance. Their mother got up from the bed, and was now tinkering with the IV needle she had in her vein.

"No! Mrs. Kirkland, please, let me do it. I have practice. You'll injure yourself if you try to pull it out like that. Please calm down, I beg you." Mairead looked at her intently, like she was appraising her, and then nodded, stretching her hand out. The nurse sighed in relief. After she pulled the needle out, she put a piece of gauze and a patch of adhesive bandage over the place where the needle was.

"Now, where is my son?" The authoritarian way she said this left no space for argument. She let her go with her sons to the third floor.

* * *

When they came to the room Arthur was in, Mairead busted in. She saw her child lying still and breathing shallowly. He had a peaceful expression, with a tinge of exhaustion spread over it. She touched his cheek out of the habit, and he leaned on her hand in an instant. Not being able to hold back anymore, tears started dripping down her cheeks while she leaned over him. A couple of salty drops fell on his face. His eyes fluttered and then opened. He stared and stared, and then held his hand out, touching a wisp of her mahogany hair. A puny smile appeared on his face.

"Mum, why are you crying? It's not pretty, I say. You are better when smiling."


	5. The Fourth Step

Okay, guys, how are you today?

I would have probably uploaded earlier but the last two days were...uhm... emotionally straining.

I hope you liked the story so far, and I hope this chapter will be satisfying. Now...Who's The Doctor? Who is the Nurse? Come on, guess.

Also, if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer.

 _I_ **DO NOT OWN HETALIA!**

You know what? I'm ridiculously happy that you dedicate your time to read my work.

Dear Guest, it was one of the possible outcomes, but I didn't want to be that cruel.

Niffler.01, thanks for your patience. I'm glad that you like it. Enjoy! :)

I would like it if you shy people give me some opinions! They will be appreciated more than you can imagine! :3

* * *

Fourth Step

All of them, except Arthur; who was already exhausted and on top of that kissed and hugged by Mairead until he was red from happiness; had a fitful and unfulfilling sleep that night. Mairead and Reilley, much to teenager's embarrassment, shared her bed on the first floor, while Rhys and Alistair were left to their own devices. In other words, they had to find where to sleep and not be a nuisance. Rhys thought that was an arduous task for someone like Alistair. Not only was he tall, near 190 centimetres, but he was also blessed with big build. Not fat, but muscular. But that wasn't the biggest problem here. He snored. The roar of a lion could very much be used as a description of his hideous nightly growling. Of course, the household was used to it, but here… He wasn't sure what would happen.

They found two benches, and Alistair sprawled over the first one, while Rhys lied down on the second one with his hand beneath his head. He thought he could manage a couple of hours. He just decided to wait until Alistair is asleep. But even though time passed, no snoring occurred. He propped himself up, just to see if Alistair is asleep, but a voice greeted him.

"Can't sleep, can you?" Alistair was awake and sitting. He was looking Rhys straight in the eyes, like he was challenging him to say something.

"I would probably fall asleep, but I wanted to see if something will happen when you were to start snoring. But that's now a foiled plan. Why aren't you sleeping?" Rhys asked, curious as to why his brother wouldn't let himself be gone to the world of dreams, at least for a short time.

"What if you were right?" His voice was hushed and sorrowful. Rhys' heart started beating faster. What was the problem here?

"About what, Alistair?" He now stood up and walked to his older brother. He crouched to be at the same eye-level as Alistair. "Tell me, Alistair. What was I right about?"

"What if my hitting him from the time to time and bullying him caused him this distress?" Rhys now remembered the moment he said that. Now he wished he could slap himself for saying something insensitive like that.

"Damn it, Alistair. It is not your fault. There is no way you or Reilley caused it. Stop brooding about it. What a ridiculous thought. Listen to me. Everything will be unveiled tomorrow, so you'll know what happened. Calm down and sleep, please." Alistair just nodded to this, and then rested himself on the hard bench. Rhys sighed, not expecting something like that, and then went to lie down to take a kip.

* * *

Next morning, when everyone woke up, they gathered at Arthur's room, only to find him already awake and lost in thoughts. When he saw them, he gave them a fetching smile and a wave. The clock on the wall indicated seven o'clock, and that was an unusual time for Arthur to be awake. Mairead came to him, gave him a brief hug, and then asked what was on her mind.

"Arthur, why aren't you sleeping?" Arthur only smiled and shook his head.

"I've slept plenty. Don't worry. But I don't know what will happen now. I'm just waiting for the doctor to come and tell me what the cause of my illness is. I already know that I'm not one of the people born with it, so that means that at one point I received an injury grave enough to damage my brain."

"I see that you already know plenty, Arthur, dear boy. That will make things easier." Arthur's palaver was interrupted by a short man in a white coat entering the room that was already crowded. His black fringe almost covered his doe-like eyes, but with a darker hue. He stood in front of the Arthur's bed, as that was the only place without anyone near it. Mairead and Rhys stood side by side at Arthur's left side, while Alistair and Reilley were sitting at his right.

"Are you the doctor, sir?" Arthur inquired. He leaned, like he wanted to see something.

"Well, I'm not The Doctor, but in medical profession I excel." This made everyone in the room chuckle. "Now, jokes aside, I came to check up on you, as I heard the nurse last night was not the nicest person to you and anyone in the room. I sincerely apologise for her actions. Even though she is like that, her expertise is undeniable. She's been with us for three years with us now, and if it weren't for her meticulousness and nosiness, we would have lost more patients than I can count on my fingers. She just appears ice-cold. Everyone has a gentle side too, be aware of that. Her husband is also a nurse here. He is her opposite.

Also, I heard that the whole family had gathered to please our little patient, and I thought that was the perfect opportunity to inform you better of the illness your little boy has encountered. But I hadn't expected that everyone was already here, and that the minute Mr. Kirkland had awoken. I hope you lot weren't the ones to disturb him." As he finished talking, his voice that was dead sounding turned throaty and grave. His eyes turned to slits, suspecting people in the room. Only silence and Reilley's gulp could be heard. The man in front of them made a joke, and then threatened them. Before anyone could respond, Arthur jumped up in his bed to his knees.

"No, I was already awake when they came. Please don't be mad at them." Man's flat expression turned into a tiny smile, and then he nodded.

"Alright, Arthur. There is no need for being agitated. I was doing my job." In the background you could hear Alistair's witty comment about questioning whether he was a part of mafia so he acted like that. Doctor ignored it. "I must make sure that none of my patients is disturbed when they are facing a hard time. I apologise, Arthur, for scaring you." Arthur, satisfied with the apology, liked the man before him even more. He was sincere, quiet and calm.

"Doctor, can you tell me why have I gotten epilepsy?" The doctor nodded, and put his hands behind his back, slightly straightening his spine.

"As you already know, many people are born with this illness, but it can manifest in many shapes, from slight twitches and tics to full-blown seizures that include horrid spasms, foam coming out of the mouth, and losing consciousness, and sometimes, but rarely, leading to death. But it all depends on a person. You're in-between. I would like you to explain what could have happened to you for an epilepsy attack to occur. Can you do it?"

"Yes. Well, as far as I know I have had no serious injuries in the last fi-…" Arthur quieted. He started looking around the room, and then at his shoulder. He then nodded, and turned to the doctor in front of him. "Actually, five months ago I fainted after being hit by a ball right on the head." He looked around, and then muttered thanks to a wall. Doctor looked at him strangely, but his family acted like nothing unusual happened. He decided to mimic their behaviour.

"Alright, that could've been the cause. What did the doctors say?" This time whole family looked at him, and shook their head. Mairead sighed, starting to massage her forehead. Rhys and Reilley were biting their lips, and Alistair's expression looked heinous. He hissed some crass words, much too inadequate for Arthur's ears, but no one corrected him. Arthur had his shoulders in a slump, and his head down.

"The place we live in is a small-scale town, so the school employees were scared to be accused of neglect during class-hour, so nobody told us. We found out only a few days later, when Arthur mentioned it over dinner. Next day we went to school, but they said that it was nothing serious, that he woke up within seconds after falling. School nurse also agreed with them. And we believed them…we thought something was dodgy, but Arthur said he was feeling brilliant, so we dropped it. We were fools. And they acted like arses. Pricks will be pricks." Mairead explained, including a sigh every second sentence and everyone in the room could feel the tension rising. Her tone sounded resigned and regretful.

"So, I assume no doctor gave him a thorough check-up after that, Mrs. Kirkland. If that is so, he'll need to stay here a little longer than planned." Doctor's voice sounded normal, but for some reason, Arthur could catch a tinge of anger. He crawled on the bed to the doctor and grabbed his hand with one hand and his coat with other.

"My family is not at fault. Do not blame them." This left the whole room in stunned silence, even the doctor looked surprised. Arthur's tone sounded dangerous, like he was able to hurt him. Doctor then sighed, and placed his free hand on Arthur's head. With other hand he grasped Arthur's that was holding his palm.

"I'm not angered by your family actions. They were deceived. The person my anger is directed to is the nurse who lied without hesitating, just because she thought she would be made redundant if she told the truth. You do not have to worry." Arthur nodded; feeling relieved that that was resolved. His family just watched the exchange. They were silent, perceiving that this will help Arthur bond emotionally to the doctor.

"But what if I get another seizure?" His voice trembled. His whole family felt his fear and insecurity. Doctor enclosed his head in his hands and muttered something under his breath.

"What-what was that?" Arthur stuttered, feeling lost and coy. Doctor gave him a puny smile.

"I charmed you just now. It's for protection." Arthur's eyes widened.

"But I didn't understand you!" Doctor chuckled, shaking his shoulders indistinctly, but nothing escaped Arthur's sight. "Explain! What was it?"

"You couldn't understand me because I said it in my native language. Words are stronger when spoken in the form you are the most familiar with. Essentially, the charm means 'God, protect him from the evil'. With this, nothing will happen to you for some time. Your life will be peaceful for an amount of time. The longer, the better." Doctor explained this with a serious expression. Arthur's eyes shone like they reflected the sun, and he grinned. Alistair watched all of this in awe. His brother wasn't behaving like an arse. He was honest with a man he met for the first time in his life.

"Ah! Doctor, I haven't heard your name. You know that I am Arthur, just like the king Arthur, but whose name you bear?" And his brother started speaking in his weird way he usually did when he played with his imaginary friends. At least he warmed up to him. That will make a lot of things easier.

But one thing bugged him. How did the Rhys know that they will find out the cause last night?


	6. The Fifth Step

Well, hi guys!

I hope you liked the previous chapter. I don't have anything really important to say, except that I hope you like this chapter too.

I want some opinions! Yes, I know this plot is sloooow, sorry. I just want to convey everything I can. Ugh...

Well, **I don't own Hetalia. - This is a disclaimer...**

I hope you'll continue supporting me until the end. If you have some questions about the story or me, ask away. I'll be ready to answer. Have a good day! :)

Oh, yeah... So, who's the nurse and its husband?

* * *

Fifth Step

Arthur looked into man's eyes as he waited for an answer. They looked kind, although a little too dark for his comfort. He has never been fond of the dark and the silence that usually came with it. But the hands that were still on his cheeks were warm, and that was proof enough that he could believe the man.

"Well Arthur, sire, the name I bear is my own. I am Honda, Kiku Honda." Doctor answered as seriously as he could. He could see that the child before him is pretty peculiar, and he liked it. But he was aware that he needed to talk to his family about his sudden changes, in attitude, speech and his previous looking around the room and muttering something.

"Doctor Honda, when you said 'a little longer than planned', what did you mean by it?" Mairead decided to voice herself, now seeing that her son warmed up to the doctor completely and that it wouldn't be obstructive for their future relationship. She needed to know what would happen in the near future. She must be able to plan everything out.

"Well Mrs. Kirkland, if people at your school were responsible, your child would have been checked-up on, then get a recommendation for his brain to be MRI-ed, where they would see if he had suffered any injuries. If he did, he would be sent for EEG test that would show us if this injury will obstruct his mental and physical growth. But, as that didn't happen then, it will happen now." Doctor Honda started explaining, all the while wearing a blank expression, as if used to such situations, although he wasn't. He would later make sure that he contacts certain people. "Now, he will be scheduled to take these examinations and tests. Is that a problem? The longest he will be held here would be a week. After that, he will be free to go, of course, with semi-annual follow-ups on his situation."

Mairead looked at him for a moment, and then shook her head. A week wasn't a long period of time, so she thought that it would be tolerable for Arthur. "Thank you, doctor, for explaining this. Now I can plan everything out. I'm not going to leave Arthur alone; someone will always be with him. I want to ask you if we can stay overnight while he is hospitalised."

Honda barely contained his shock at this. Usually, parents would hospitalise their kids and would come during the day, but leave after visiting hours. He always felt that that isn't normal. Children would get lonely, and after some time, depression would pop in, leaving them desperate and scared that their parents don't love them.

He couldn't say how many times did he spot a child roaming a corridor in the middle of the night, just because those were the only places that had lights on, but also in hope to meet someone to associate with them.

Once, while he was on the patrol, before it even dawned, he found five children on a bench, all leaning on one another while sleeping. They were of differing ages, from seven to fourteen, but all of them sought company and warmth in the middle of the night, and they found it in complete strangers. He also remembered that after that, none of them separated from each other. They would be together at every chance they've got. To him, that was inspiring, as the true affection and love could be seen from those actions.

They went by the logic 'if we gather together and look after each other, we won't be scared, and no one will be sad', but it went further than that. Oldest child, a boy of fourteen, started acting like a care taker for others, teaching them mathematics, history, to draw, to write, and to read. They started following him around, just like a baby ducks. They were a group who depended on each other, who trusted each other. It was pure, and heartbreaking…

He shook his head to get rid of the memories. "Mrs. Kirkland, as long as you don't make fuss, you can stay and you will not have to pay. I guarantee you that." The face she made when she heard it, along with the faces of Arthur's brothers; who couldn't believe what they just heard; hurt him hard, as he could see that they didn't expect any sympathy or help with their cause.

"Thank you. I…" He just waved his hand to interrupt Rhys, who tried to express himself. He turned to Arthur.

"Arthur, tomorrow we'll do some tests. Is that alright with you?" The child nodded, and gently smiled, that way giving the doctor the gratitude and hope that he won't just be an evil being to him, as the doctor still hasn't realised that Arthur already trusted him. He exited the room before anyone else could stop him.

* * *

That night, Arthur lied awake next to Rhys, who was to stay with him until the morning and the time for the tests. Rhys was sleeping quietly, not moving a centimetre. Arthur, on the other side, couldn't. He slept from the time doctor left until dinner time, which was at 7:30 p.m. He slept for twelve hours. He was now wide awake and anxious to do something.

He sneaked out of the bed he shared with Rhys and went into the corridor. He paced to the loo, and after that he went looking about, wanting to see if there was some nurse around. Getting bored after a couple of minutes, he sat on a nearby bench. He looked around, noticing that the rooms in this part of the corridor didn't have the doors. He wondered if there was anyone at all. He came into one of the rooms quietly. There were no beds, but cribs. He peaked into one and saw a boy that was awake.

He took him from the crib and boy didn't struggle. He didn't even let out a sound. He exited the room and sat on the bench. The boy just looked at him; he had big, sapphire-like eyes.

"Why aren't you sleeping? I can't because I am not sleepy. How old are you? I am nine. Do you even have three years? What are you doing here?" Arthur observed the child he held. He wondered if that was the way he would feel if he were a big brother. He caressed boy's cheek. And then a miracle happened. Well, not really, but to Arthur it seemed like it. The child smiled. It was such a wide smile that Arthur felt his heart clench. Did he ever smile like that? Why was the boy smiling; because he touched him? He patted him on the head this time. The child giggled, covering his mouth.

"I am-am two." He got an answer to his question. But what impressed him were the teeth he saw when the child spoke. They were white and tiny. He poked the child's stomach, hoping for a reaction. And he got it, alright. The child screamed in joy, asking him to do it again. And he did. He felt so fulfilled. Giving affection, being asked to do something nice and fun… He saw a name tag on the child's clothes. 'Alfred, 2 years, seven months' it said.

"Hi Alfred, I am Arthur." He wondered what was he doing in the middle of the bloody night, but didn't care.

He patted and caressed and poked Alfred's stomach until he made the boy tear up from laughing and giggling. He hugged him, stood up, and started rocking him. Not even five minutes later, Alfred was asleep. He tried putting him back in the crib, but Alfred wouldn't let go. His fist was tightly curled around Arthur's jams. He picked him up again, went to his room and lied next to Rhys, who was sleeping like dead. He covered himself and Alfred with a blanket. Alfred nestled up to him, drawn to warmth.

Arthur smiled, closed his eyes and slept.


	7. The Sixth Step

Guys, guess what!

I had some time, so I could write. Oh, I'm so glad that I could write. It's a kind of a relaxation for me. Unfortunately, because of various problems and complications, I'm not able to write as often as I would want to.

Okay, first of all: **I don't own Hetalia- this is a disclaimer, hahaha.**

Next, I hope that you're happy that I've written this update, even when I myself didn't expect it. Hehe.

Okay, now I'm serious. I want to hear your opinions on my writing, and I would like to know what you've expected so far, and did you expect this. _Pleaaase?_

That would be all for now. See you soon, people.

* * *

 _The Sixth Step_

"Doctor Honda, the baby from the third floor, room 14, crib 50 is missing." A panicked nurse said in hurry. Next to her, Kiku Honda, the hospital doctor, stopped in his tracks.

"When did this happen? Have you checked the video footage? Crib number 50? Isn't that Alfred's crib? How could he disappear?" His usually lifeless eyes fired up, as he couldn't believe his own ears.

"Doctor, the footage shows a blurred picture, but I could recognise a young boy taking him out of the room. Unfortunately, I could not see his face and he didn't seem familiar to me." Dr. Honda turned to the blonde in front of him, looking at her with a confused expression.

He wondered how that was possible. He knew that the nurse that was reporting to him had an excellent memory, and that she rarely made mistakes while on her shift. Her husband, on the other hand…was a handful, but very helpful when it came to important things. As he started walking again, he saw one of the Kirkland brothers running to him, looking very flustered. What happened? Please, let it not be another seizure. Thinking this, the teenager he recognised as Rhys came to him, trying to catch his breath.

"Dr. Honda, I think I will have to apologise to you. It's about Arthur. He.., he brought a baby into the bed last night. I woke up just ten minutes ago, and saw him in the bed next to me. But under the covers, there was a strange bump. I uncovered him, and he was holding a toddler in his arms. They were embracing each other. I couldn't make myself wake them up, so I ran to find you. Thank God I found you immediately. I didn't know what I would do if you were to be absent." He looked at Rhys, feeling an incredible urge to laugh. He turned to the nurse, with an almost unnoticeable smirk on his lips. The nurse, already knowing him for a long time, didn't miss it.

"Well, Monica, I can say that this case is closed. As you see, Mr. Kirkland Rhys has just told us where the missing baby is at the moment. I think there is no need for the further investigation. I am aware that you have probably alarmed whole hospital, so I would largely appreciate it if you were to notify them that the child is safe. I will take it from here, and please, after informing everyone, send your husband up to the third floor to the room number 4. That's where everyone will be waiting. Is that clear?" Monica looked stunned. She just nodded, and then turned to go down the hall.

Rhys was biting his lips, feeling ashamed of his brother's rashness and lack of prudence. Who would do that? When he saw him, lying there with an unknown baby, his blood ran cold. He knew that Arthur's actions would cause them problems. He also wondered where the Arthur did, and at which time, find the child. That boy acted like nothing happened in the past day and a half, and did what he desired. He glanced at the watch on his right hand, noticing that it is just 6:32 in the morning. He wondered whether should he wake their mother and Reilley, and call Alistair while he was at it. He decided against it. He should let them sleep a little longer. They needed it.

"Rhys." He got startled.

"Yes?" He looked at the doctor like he was expecting a death penalty. His eyes widened and he could feel cold sweat down his spine. What would happen now?

"Calm down. Now that we know where the baby is, everything will be okay. Don't worry; I don't mind that Arthur did that. Now, let's go see them." Rhys just nodded, feeling relieved and lost at the same time.

* * *

When they arrived to the Arthur's room, Kiku stealthily approached two sleeping boys. He was aware of Alfred's fear of strangers, and yet, there he was, sleeping in the arms of a boy he met the previous night. Was it a child's intuition? He swore that too many doctors ignored the psyche of infants, writing it off as unimportant and too underdeveloped to explore. He sighed, and then sat on the chair next to the bed, watching them sleep all the while.

Both of the boys had a peaceful expression, like nothing ever happened to them except pure happiness and tranquillity. He wondered what he will do when Arthur gets discharged. Alfred had already formed a bond with him. It will be hard to break something like that. Also, how will the separation affect Arthur's mind? Those were all the questions that flowed through his mind when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He jumped, his heart rate rising rapidly. He could barely repress a squeal.

He turned around to face the person who scared him. It was Mairead. He nodded in sign of a greeting, while she gave him a slight smile. She gestured for him to follow her outside the room. He followed her, puzzled as to why she wanted to talk to him. She sat on a nearby bench and he mimicked her.

"Dr. Honda, please, I want you to be truthful with me." She looked at him, and he shuddered. Her eyes were a piercing reddish-brown. Under the light of a morning sun, they lit up like a flame, ready to burn him if he were to make a wrong step. "I want to know how my son's life will progress from now on. What will happen to him in the future? Answer me honestly. I beg you." At the end of her speech, her voice rose. He felt a pang in his heart, knowing that he can't comfort her as he would want to.

"Mrs. Kirkland, your son will from now on have to be under medication, to be careful around everything, but we are not even sure if the seizures will ever come back. It might happen, but it might not. I can't predict what will happen. For now, we will follow his progress, and see what will happen. He will get appropriate medication, but even that medication can be harmful, so I want you to inform me of any undesirable side-effects the moment you notice them. Nothing is ever certain." He sighed as he answered her question. He knew this won't be enough, but it was all he could offer.

"Then, can you explain this to me in the simplest terms possible? I need to know what to expect." Her answer to his speech surprised him, but he could see she was serious. He nodded.

"Seizures can reoccur at the start of puberty. I don't know how will they manifest, but I advise you that you buy a pack of diazepam every six months, that's how much their effectiveness usually lasts. If he gets a seizure, insert a tube of a 10mg of diazepam into him through his anus. That would be the most effective way to stop a seizure of his kind." His eyes clouded while he was explaining. He felt his gut wrenching, and he wanted to barf, but he needed to do this.

"Alright, but what do you mean of his kind?" Mairead leaned in, gripping the sleeves of her jumper. This was hard for her. Her heart was beating, but she felt near death. Her child, her kindred was suffering and she was unable to help him. She wanted to cry, but her strength was more important now. She will persevere.

"He has experienced what we call a crisis of consciousness. It is something similar to a blackout, but a child remembers with time. It is conscious, it can communicate, but after exiting the crisis, it won't remember what happened during it. Do you understand?" He observed Mairead's actions. She fidgeted and bit her lips, tinkered with buttons on her jumper and shivered from time to time. Her eyes darted everywhere; she was obviously scared and insecure.

He couldn't help her. That hurt him. Finally, she nodded, and then stood up. She went back to the room, leaving him alone on the bench. That's when someone sat next to him.

"Kiku, you called me, and I came, but I didn't think it would be a good idea to interrupt while you spoke to her." Beside him was Monica's husband, head nurse of the department in charge of MRI tests and readings. He could see from the circles underneath his eyes that he had a sleepless night. He had less endurance than Monica. Even after not sleeping for three days, that woman would look fresh and ready for action. "She sure looked sad and lost, didn't she? So, I heard that the little patient we have to MRI today stole a baby and used it as a teddy bear. What else happened, Kiku? I know when something isn't right." His usual carefree attitude disappeared and his chocolate eyes squinted. He could be fierce when he needed to.

"The baby he took and is currently sleeping with is Alfred." That was all he said. It was enough for his friend to open his mouth wide. He couldn't answer. They've tried everything to make the toddler open to them, but to no avail. A mere child did it within minutes. Kiku turned, his body facing the man in front of him. "Feliciano, what will we do when Arthur abandons Alfred?"

Feliciano stood up, shocked, and went into room 4 to check for himself. It was true. Alfred was sleeping in the boy's embrace like he belonged there. His heart clenched. He wanted to let a tear or two roll down, but he knew that must not happen now. Later, when he was alone with Monica, he would do it to his heart content. At that moment, Arthur moved, and then abruptly woke up. This, in turn, woke Alfred up, who felt scared at his sleep being suddenly interrupted. His shrill scream alarmed everyone, but before any of adults could do anything, Arthur took Alfred into his hands and started rocking him. Alfred, feeling familiar warmth, stopped screaming and started silently sobbing into Arthur's pyjamas. After a minute or so, he calmed down, and then looked up to Arthur. He smiled and whispered: "Artur". He closed his eyes and fell asleep, leaving everyone in the room astounded, except Arthur, who just hugged him tightly, and turned to his mother.

"Mum, he needs me, I know that. His heart beats in the same rhythm as mine." His voice was hard, so much that it surprised Mairead, Rhys; who was just sitting silently in one of the chairs he moved to a corner last night, not knowing what to do, except watch his brother while he slept; Kiku and Feliciano. Mairead slowly came to Arthur's side, patted him on the head, and looked at sleeping Alfred.

"Arthur, what do you mean, poppet?" Even though she asked, she already knew. She saw them together.

"Mum, adopt him. Make him my brother. He is someone I will care for as much as care for you, Reilley, Rhys and Alistair. And I won't bully him. He can see what I see. He will listen to me. Please, we-no, I need him. I will be his anchor. He is my kin. Nobody can say otherwise. I can sense it. He is same as father. He can see what I and father saw." Mairead looked at him. She knew of the bond Arthur and his father had, but she thought that that was just their ritual. Not something anyone else could share with him. She felt conflicted. He already had four children, one more would exhaust her. She also had no enough money to provide for all of them if she were to adopt Alfred.

"Sure, go ahead." This voice broke the silence Arthur created with his statement. Everybody turned to the door. It was Alistair. "I just came from home with some essential supplies, but I didn't expect all this drama. God, Arthur, can you be anymore demanding? But I understand. Mother, adopt him. Don't worry about finances or something like that. I saw it last night. He took the child from the crib, played with him, and then laid to sleep while next to him. I can't believe that Rhys didn't wake up at all. He must have really been exhausted. They are meant for one another. And mother, I say not to worry because I've got it all covered." At that moment, next to Alistair, one person appeared.

"Meet Alfred's brother. He is willing to pay for pretty much everything. Also, I've got a raise at my job. Winning cases is easy, nothing simpler, and they bow to me for it. How did you say you are called?" He said while turning to a man almost as high as him, two-three centimetres shorter, who wore oval, black-rimmed glasses and had his curly, honey-coloured hair pinned with a couple of bobby pins. Behind his glasses, amethyst-coloured eyes observed the whole room.

"Mathieu, my name is Mathieu F. Jones. Glad to meet you. And, Mrs. Kirkland, I apologise for hitting you with my car. I see that it left a horrible bruise. I have no excuse."


	8. The Seventh Step

Guys! I'm back!

How are you? I feel relaxed, and by now sleepy... It's near dawn here. I slept till half past eleven, and then decided to write this chapter.

Okay, I have a couple of questions for you. Is the story progressing too slow? I'm just trying to convey everything.

Do you like this development? Did you expect it? Is my writing understandable? That's about it, for now.

 **I don't own Hetalia..- a disclaimer.**

I'm excited to hear(read) your opinions, and also to answer any questions, if you have them.

* * *

 _8\. The Seventh Step_

After this shocking introduction, the room was left in silence. The young man in front of them was the family of the baby Arthur held so dear, and also the one who hurt their mother, although not on purpose. They didn't know how to respond to this, so they just sat in quiet, too baffled to respond. When Alistair saw that his family, along with the doctor and the nurse, was too surprised to do anything, he decided to take action.

"Well, I can see that that was a shocker for all of you. I'll briefly explain. Last night, I didn't leave the hospital, but I loafed around the nurse office and talked to them, trying to find out more about the illness our brother has gotten. Around 1 a.m., I decided to check-up on Arthur and Rhys. Just when I neared their room, I saw Arthur exiting the room and heading down the corridor. I decided to follow him, curious to see what will he do so late. After walking a little, he sat on a bench and stared into empty space. After a couple of minutes, at which time I already wanted to approach him, he stood up and entered one of the rooms in front of which he sat. I quietly came to the door of the room he entered and saw him." At this point of the story, everyone turned to Arthur, looking at him. Alistair let a chuckle escape from his lips and then continued.

"He was playing and talking to a toddler he had never seen before. I could see that the toddler fell asleep after some time and that Arthur tried to put him back into his crib, but the babe wouldn't let go. And that was how Arthur decided to bring him to his room. Fortunately, I hid before he saw me, and then I watched him as he laid down next to snoring Rhys and placed the child next to him so that both of them would be fairly comfortable. That's it."

After this statement of Alistair's, Mairead started laughing, and tried to stifle it, knowing that she could wake Alfred up if she laughed too hard. Rhys looked a little shy and apologetic, while Arthur just rocked sleeping Alfred contentedly. Kiku and Feliciano just stared astonished. So that's what happened last night.

"And how did you meet Mathieu?" This question came from Rhys, who observed Mathieu, trying to see his character. He didn't feel anxious or worried around this person, so he let it go for now. At this, Mathieu turned to him and smiled timidly. He then told them what happened.

* * *

Apparently, that morning, when he came to the reception to check in, so that he could see his brother for a short while, Alistair heard him asking about the woman he hit the previous day and also about his brother. When he saw him panicking at the news that his brother was missing, he approached him and talked to him. He said that he probably knew where his brother was and asked him if he was willing to talk to him for a short bit. After that, they sat on a couple of waiting chairs; highly uncomfortable things, mind you; and talked business. That's how they came to an agreement over many things.

"My name is actually Mathieu F. Williams, but I use Jones when signing in because of Alfred. Nurses are aware, don't be afraid. You see, there are some complications around mine and Alfred's connection. I'm afraid that I can't take care of him in the way that is appropriate. That's why I agreed to Alistair's proposal. It seems that he knows his brothers well enough to predict their actions. I'm impressed." At that point, Alistair jumped in with a comment that such a thing is a requirement when you are a barrister aiming for the top. Everybody laughed at that, and then Mathieu continued with his story. But now, something seemed wrong. Kiku and Feliciano already knew what was the problem, but didn't butt in. Mathieu sighed once and then again, crossing his hands and avoiding eye contact. Then he straightened his anxious expression and looked at all of them with determination.

"Although Alfred and I are brothers, we only share half of the same blood. We have the same mother. Before anyone interrupts, listen to me. I came to this country two years ago with Alfred in my custody. I was stationed as a sergeant in arms in this country's military, and unfortunately, unable to care for Alfred as I should have done. I've tried nannies, in-house employees who would care for him, but nothing was right. That is when I decided to pull some strings and get Alfred admitted here. In exchange for a certain amount he would be cared for well. I visit him as often as I can, but I know he needs a stable family and ground to stand on. After seeing this" he pointed at Arthur who was still rocking Alfred in his arms happily, "I'm sure that you would be a perfect family for him. I can read people, you know.

I can see that all of you have a strong bond between you. I have orders to come back to my original base in Canada, and I know I wouldn't be able to care for Alfred, and I wouldn't want anyone like her to get a hold him."

Mairead, puzzled by what she just heard, asked what bothered her. "By 'her', you mean your mother?" The tone he spoke in when he mentioned her was with bad insinuations. Mathieu nodded his head, his expression turning stony and unreadable.

"Yes. My father married my mother young. Everything was alright in the beggining. She was pregnant and soon I was born. But three or four years after that, everything went downhill. She started acting weird, and my father discovered that she had started drinking and already had serious issues with her health connected to her addiction. He tried to help her in every way you can imagine, but it was futile. He divorced her and I chose father to be my caretaker. We left when I was thirteen." He shook his head in remembrance, biting his lower lip all the while.

"I lived in France for five years before I decided to go back to Canada. I got accepted into military, and after some time I decided to track my mother, just to see if she left the hell she was in. What I found astounded me. She had a newborn with her, and she was unconscious. Immediately, I called a social worker and found Alfred's SIN, along with some other documents. When the help came, we took them to hospital. For her there was no help. She died couple of hours later of cocaine overdose, but there was hope for Alfred. He had cocaine in his system, but fortunately a minute amount that could be removed through medication and milk from other pregnant women in the hospital. After three months, we could say with confidence that he was clean. Social worker that I had contact with assured me that I would get custody, because apparently, supposed father appeared out of nowhere. We won the trial over custody, and just a month later, I got reassigned here and brought Alfred with me. That's the story." When Mathieu finished, he breathed in and out several times, trying to calm himself. He ruffled his hair with his hands, knowing that what he just said was hard to accept for many people. He hung his head low, not wanting to see the expressions of the people in front of him. What happened at that moment astonished him. He was embraced by the woman he hit yesterday.

"It's alright, Mathieu. Everything will be alright. I will adopt Alfred, and you can go back to Canada with a calm heart. We will take care of him. But I expect of you to visit us from time to time, it's my only requirement." Mairead, as well as Alistair, Rhys and Arthur were all saddened by the story that they just heard, and they knew that now it was final. Alfred is a part of their family.

In Mairead's heart, Mathieu was also put into the family chart. _Oh_ , her thoughts flowed, _I_ _have two more sons now. God bless me. What will happen from now on?_

* * *

After all the drama disappeared and everybody calmed down, Kiku turned to Arthur and asked him if he was ready for his tests. Arthur was reluctant, as Alfred seemed to start crying every time he was let go; but when he saw that Mathieu could calm him, he accepted and went with Kiku and Feliciano; who, by the way, couldn't hold in his tears after Mairead exclaimed what she would do, and then went out for some time to cry his heart out, so now, his eyes were red and puffy.

On the way to the room where he would be examined, Feliciano explained him that MRI meant that they will take a picture of his brain to see if there was an injury that could have caused his seizure. He even promised him to show him the picture later. Then Kiku told him that after that he will have to take an EEG test, that will record his brain's electrical activity. They will put a special kind of hat on his head, the one that is connected to a computer that will help them read what is happening in his brain. Arthur listened to all of this in silence. This got Kiku worried. He crouched to Arthur's eye level and assured him that he shouldn't be scared because nothing of that will hurt. Arthur then just smiled and shook his head.

"I'm not worried about that. You will do what you must, dr. Honda. What is on my mind is what will I do here when you find out what happened to me, and will I be able to return home at all." This took Kiku by surprise.

"Why do you think that you won't be able to return home after this?" Although Kiku asked, he was afraid of the answer. Arthur looked at him and smiled gently, so gently that to Kiku it seemed that he tried to soothe him.

"Because every happiness asks for an equally bad fortune." Kiku felt his back shudder. Not an answer that was expected of a nine-year-old.

"And your happiness is?" He inquired, now impatient to know.

"Meeting Alfred." The child before him answered with conviction. He was sure in what he said. Kiku decided to argue his point.

"But, Arthur. What if it is the other way for you?" Arthur stared, not comprehending what Kiku said. He shook his head in confusion. "What if you had to experience a bad fortune to meet your happiness?" After this, Arthur gazed at him like he told him he knew the formula for transmuting iron into gold.

Arthur slowly nodded. "Could be...why, yes. It could be so. I needed to deserve him." Kiku breathed deeply, now relieved. But something still didn't seem right. Shaking off that feeling, he straightened and started walking again. A little hand grasped his. He glanced down.

Arthur held his hand, letting him lead the way.

Behind the two of them, Feliciano pulled out the cross he wore and looked at it, and then put it back underneath the uniform.


	9. The Eighth Step

Well guys,

Here I am after a long time. Sorry for holding you up, but now I can proudly say that everything is over and I'll have lots of free time, and that, my dears, means a lot of new chapters.

I hope that you'll like this one as much as you liked the previous ones. I would like it if you were kind enough to review, as that helps me a lot. If you say that I did a good job, I'll be happy and continue, but if you say it's not that good, I'll sincerely try to better my writing so that you could enjoy it. Also tell me if you have some kind of suggestions.

If you have some questions, about the story or me, you are free to ask. I'll answer them all.

That's about it. Now it's time for me to sleep, as I need to travel tomorrow, so I hope to hear from you soon.

Signing off,

Mara :)

* * *

 **Eighth Step**

After three long hours of examining Arthur, they all sat down to take a break. One of the nurses sent Arthur back to his room, to which he agreed only after Kiku told him that he will come with the pictures and explanation.

Kiku and Feliciano sat in silence at the table in the one of the modest rooms that were made as a rest area for exhausted nurses. On the table were the MRI scans. They showed an already healed up wound, a scar. Arthur's right side of the brain was wounded approximately five months ago, so the story about the ball matched perfectly. Arthur had an internal bleeding, and the brain, the organism fixed it how it could. But it left a scar, a scar that would start torturing him in less than a half of a year.

The wounded brain tissue was now useless, being damaged beyond repair. What surprised them was that the surrounding tissue took over the responsibilities of the damaged part. The damaged part had connections with speaking, not the ability to speak itself, but with the eloquence of the child. Arthur had no problems with that. He could speak normally, although sometimes; they found out from his mother, even before the examination; he needed time to remember what he wanted to say and he was easily distracted. Also, he would forget the word or an expression from time to time and he would dwell upon it, sometimes for hours. Now they knew the reason for it.

''Kiku, what do you think about his case?'' Feliciano leaned in, evidently tired, with his circles becoming blacker by hour, but fully awake and ready for discussion. These circles reminded Kiku of pandas, and then of his uncle. _When did he last talk to him?_ This question flowed through his mind, but he pushed it aside, aware that he needed to answer Feliciano.

''Feliciano, to be honest, I don't know. His brain should be functioning normally, without a hitch, but for some reason it short-circuited and caused him a seizure. This could be haunting him for life. It's scaring me. I don't want him to suffer, but there is also a humongous possibility that he will never again have an incident like this. Even though we finished all the business today, I think that he should stay the whole week, as we said before. I want to speak to him. Something bothers me. Have you- oh, yes, you weren't there at the time.'' After this, Kiku quieted. This upset Feliciano.

''Kiku, what was it?'' His voice was coarse, dripping with impatience. Kiku twitched at his tone. It was rare, but scary when it appeared. Feliciano was really worried, and that triggered him. He was serious. Sometimes he was even eerier than Monica. He was already used to Monica's behaviour, but Feliciano was different. He was unpredictable.

''The first time I met Arthur and asked him if he knew what could cause his seizure, he wanted to say that he didn't know, but stopped himself. Then he muttered something to a corner of the room, nodded, and abruptly turned to me, saying that he hurt himself in school five months ago. I think that he is a little too old for imaginary friends. Do you think that there is something else that could be the cause of this event?'' Kiku put his elbows on the table, not daring to break the eye-contact he had with Feliciano. It may have sounded bizarre, but it was a possibility. He needed Feliciano's opinion.

''Kiku, I think you worry far too much, but if you are so concerned about it, why don't you ask the person himself? It is not such a hard thing to do. Just ask him what he sees.'' After this, Feliciano got up from his chair, stretched for moment and waved Kiku goodbye while exiting the room. Kiku stayed on the chair, wondering if that would be the right move.

* * *

That afternoon, Arthur sat on his bed, watching the crib that was placed in his room just a couple of hours ago. Alfred was with him now. His heart was beating faster as he was excited that now he could communicate with Alfred and be with him, and before all, behave like a good brother. Alfred was sleeping, and he felt anxious to do something. Rhys was with him until five minutes ago, when he went out to buy strawberries which Arthur asked him for. Knowing that Rhys won't come back for at least another fifteen minutes, he let his legs lead the way.

He exited the room and headed down the corridor, wondering what he would find if he just continued walking. When he came to the parting of the corridor into two paths, he chose to go right. It just seemed fitting. Walking in bluish slippers, his steps were hushed. After looking around for a while, it seemed that he wandered into the wing where the doctor's offices were. He smiled, hoping that he could find Dr. Honda somewhere in there. Just when he thought about it, something flew right by him. He followed it until it suddenly disappeared in front of Kiku's office. He knocked, knowing that he had to be polite. That's what his mother taught him, after all. He heard a faint 'Yes' from inside, so he came in.

* * *

It was half past two, and Kiku was sitting in his office, wondering how he would explain the situation to Arthur in terms simple enough for him to understand. He also pondered over how to ask Arthur about what he was communicating with. Kiku, although silent and calm, always had an insatiable itch to know when he got interested in something. This time it was Arthur's 'friends', if you could call them that. He leaned into his chair, hoping to take a light nap while he could, when he heard weak knocking on the office door. He only said 'Yes', knowing that the person from the other side will introduce itself and explain why did they interrupt him while he was on his one-hour lunch break. But that didn't happen. The door slowly opened and the head that protruded from the opening was the one he least expected. He stood up and hurried to the door, opening them wide and looking at Arthur.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?" He couldn't hide his surprise. He moved to the side, letting Arthur come into his office.

"Well, doctor, I was wandering around and accidentally came to this part of the hospital, wished to see you, then I got a little help with that, and now, here I am." Arthur stood in the office, looking at the shelves full of things he never saw before. He had a desire to know about them.

One of the seven shelves was full of books. They were concerning various topics, from epilepsy to psychological diseases. They were thick and probably heavy, but he wished that he could take them into his arms and riffle through them. They would probably be too complex for him, but he wanted to see what was in them.

Kiku led him to the chair across his and sat him down. He observed Arthur. The child was looking around clearly fascinated by the things he had on his shelves, but there wasn't time for that now. Since the chance offered itself, why would he refuse it?

"Arthur", he spoke, which broke Arthur's concentration that was directed to the books and made him jump.

"I am sorry, were you saying something?" Arthur inquired, tilting his head and blushing slightly. Kiku could see that Arthur was entranced with the books, so he decided to show them to him later and explain some things, but it was not the time for that.

"Don't worry, I haven't said anything yet. First of all, does anyone know that you left your room?" To this question, Arthur's body stiffened, and he shook his head. Kiku sighed and picked his office phone up. He called Feliciano.

"Hello. Feliciano, Arthur just appeared in front of my door and is in my office right now. Please go to his room and inform his family not to worry and that I will walk him back after a short conversation, alright? If you can't do it, send someone else. And let it be fast." While he was speaking, he observed Arthur's face. It changed as he heard what Kiku was saying; from the fearful face to the bright smile after he heard that he won't be sent back immediately. When he put the phone down, he even heard a sigh of relief coming from Arthur. He sighed, not knowing what to do, but that changed quickly.

"Alright, Arthur. Can you tell me who helped you find my office?" Arthur shook his head again.

"And why not?" Kiku leaned in, now really intrigued.

"You wouldn't believe me." Arthur curled up, pulling his legs up on the chair and hugging them.

"Why do you think I wouldn't?" Kiku now knew what Arthur wanted to say, but couldn't because he was scared.

"It's because no one believes me. When dad was alive, he would believe and talk to me about them, but now that he is dead, no one wants to talk to me about them anymore. They say that they aren't real. That dad just pretended that he knew what I was talking about, but that's not true. He could see them too. Once I asked for a proof, and he described one of them just as it looked. He even said that everyone could see them while they were children, but they usually pushed them away when their parents would say that they should stop talking about such things and stop with pretend games. He believed in them and believed me. You won't, because you can't see them." This palaver of Arthur's really surprised Kiku, but he kept silent. Arthur just explained some things to him, but he couldn't suppress himself. He slowly stood up, went around his table and knelt in front of the Artur who was sitting all huddled up.

"Arthur, if you let me, I would like to know more", at this Arthur's head shot up and his eyes widened, "but I need to ask you something first." Arthur nodded carefully, like that could determine everything. And somehow, Kiku felt that it could. That scared him, but he still needed to know.

"Who are 'they', Arthur?" Kiku looked deep into Arthur's eyes and could see him mulling over whether to tell him or not. This lasted for a while, long enough that Kiku's knees started hurting.

"Dr. Honda", Kiku jolted, as the silence had crept up in between them awhile ago, "I can see them. The faeries."


End file.
